Jeb Bush Calls President Obama Intolerant On Religious Freedom

During a commencement address at Liberty University, Republican presidential hopeful Jeb Bush accused President Barack Obama of being small-minded and intolerant on issues of “religious freedom.” Bush told the audience:

Somebody here is being small-minded and intolerant, and it sure isn’t the nuns, ministers, and laymen and women who ask only to live and practice their faith. Federal authorities are demanding obedience, in complete disregard of religious conscience – and in a free society, the answer is no.

Bush did not specifically discuss gay marriage in his address, but he did make a reference to the Little Sisters of the Poor Catholic charity, who took their case to the Supreme Court fighting for an exemption from the Affordable Care Act’s contraception mandate. Bush exclaimed:

You might even say it’s a choice between the Little Sisters and Big Brother – and I’m going with the Little Sisters.

Bush made his remarks at Liberty University, the fundamentalist Southern Baptist private university founded by the late evangelist Jerry Falwell. Liberty University is also the location where Texas right-wing Senator Ted Cruz made his official announcement that he was running for President. Visiting the college has become an obligatory stop for GOP presidential candidates hoping to court Christian evangelical voters, who make up a key component of the Republican primary base.

That Jeb Bush would pander to Christian bigots at Liberty University, and then figuratively turn the world upside down by accusing President Obama, rather than Falwell’s disciples, of intolerance is a testament to how weak Mr. Bush is as a leader.

Jeb Bush will not stand up for the rights of American citizens to be free from the theocratic directives of religious fundamentalists. Instead, he embraces the Religious Right’s bizarre persecution complex, and he insists that denying them to the right to discriminate against gays, lesbians, and women of reproductive age, is somehow a form of intolerance. That kind of sophistry might fool a room full of Christian evangelicals at Liberty University, but it isn’t likely to convince the rest of America. They recognize intolerance when they see it, and it is far more visible in Bush’s address to Liberty University than it is in the Obama White House.

Keith Brekhus is a progressive American who currently resides in Red Lodge, Montana. He is co-host for the Liberal Fix radio show. He holds a Master’s Degree in Sociology from the University of Missouri. In 2002, he ran for Congress as a Green Party candidate in the state of Missouri. In 2014, he worked as a field organizer for Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick’s successful re-election bid in Arizona’s 1st Congressional District. He can be followed on Twitter @keithbrekhus or on Facebook.

When he gets to the purple states he’s going to drop that routine and start telling them about his friend who is gay or his black friend. His wife isn’t mentioned in the states where that would be a drawback and she is touted when needed. Scripted by the Rove Machine of yore.

I don’t want to hear this religious right BS. Whatshisname Bush is using religion to discriminate against people, creating homelessness by not creating jobs (Republicans have voted for the Keystone Pipeline which provides a few hundred jobs while voting against an infrastructure job bill that would employ millions and solve US’s homeless and hunger problem – but they don’t want to solve the unemployment problem). They would rather starve the poor while giving more and more tax cuts and benefits to super rich fat people like him. So STFU Bush; you’re not going to become president. What have YOU done lately? A big fat zero.

So Jeb, don’t piss down my leg and call it rain. Obama has more religion and empathy in one hand, than you do in your whole body.

Bush and the rest of the clown car are pissing up a rope on this one. EVERYONE in the country that is awake understands that goper “religious freedom” means freedom to discriminate against any and all. (thank you, Indiana) The line between church and state is glowing bright red for the majority of sane Americans. Only the goper fools are willing to pander to the religious right. They will lose – big time…

LOL.. so.. you’re intimating that El Jebe is actually a Catholic and makes $$$ by those rules?

Uh, no.

Where did that notion come from?

Jeb Bu$h like all of the Bu$h family members, only cares about money. To hell with the rest of us.
I type the dollar sign in place of the S in Bu$h, because I find it appropriate. Iraq- was about Oil, and the monies therein.

Also about Halliburton profits in the billions – (defense contracting has huge profits.) Bush and Cheney were stockholders. Never-ending war means mega profits till the end of time. Another Bush, another war.$$$$

I’m not an atheist and do believe. Because my parents and neighbors and girlfriends told me so. 40 years ago I actually was “Baptised” in a Baptist Church. My Girl at that time insisted I did. Shortly after, I discovered Deacons were Screwing Each others wives, If you did not Kill Innocent Deer you were a fool. And Amway. Remember Amway? In closing, I have to say, These are the most UN- Christian people I know.

All any Bush has ever believed in is making money.(religion) is an after thought and useful.
Don’t believe me? Read.. Family of Secrets
by Russ Baker
“The Bush Dynasty,America’s Invisible Government, and the Hidden History of the Last Fifty Years”

Bush, like the rest of the GOP loathe and detest the American values contained in the First Amendment, particularly those that pertain to religious freedom, choice and conscience.

Those rights the GOP and Bush as well, would subordinate to the fundamentalist beliefs of the Religious Right.

The whole GOP agenda is to take away as many civil rights awaying from as many citizens as it can. That would reduce those citizens to 2nd class status. They would in effect, but subjects and not citizens.

I’d love to know what the Repubs are running on, do they have a platform, what are they going to do about America’s problems. I’d like to say again, President Obama is leaving office. Why are they still talking about what he has or has not done..sheese..

sorry folks but I am really beginning to hate these goddamn GOP clowns. how dare they accuse Obama of intolerance. it blows my mind the audacity and hypocrisy this rightwing garbage engages in. it makes me want to scream!!! these righties are pure evil and have entered a phase where they say I know you are but what am I? it is disgusting. these republicans and conservatives are going down big time. they are the enemy now.

folks do you remember Jesus and his warnings about wolves in sheep’s clothing? well, he was talking about the fake conservative Christians in this country who use his words to justify their own blatant bigotry, racism, and intolerance. they are pure evil who have weaponized the words of the bible and jesus to attack others not like them. it is so sad that is has come to this. so sad these rightwing fake Christians have perverted christianity. we all must stand up to these rightwing religious bullies.

Lying, cheating, and stealing should disqualify anyone from running for President. No Tbagger or Repub can qualify for the Presidency. They are phoney, and entirely too stupid and too crazy for the job. Let’s stop putting these lunatics in any office and make our country great again. Would any of you hire them for any job you would be hiring for? Say a cashier, a supervisor, a clerk, a salesman, babysitter, etc. Of course not! So why are these hacks getting seats they clearly don’t deserve in OUR government? Kick them out.

I think that if Bush gets the nomination, it will codify the left and we will see a record number of democrats register and vote.

I think, and this is only my opinion, that even republican know in their heart what a horrible president George was. They will never admit that however.
You would have to be in a coma or a simpleton not to see how bad he was.

I never did trust Bush, When he sent our troops in to Iraq, I said it was a mistake. a big one. Was accused by those around me of having no patriotism. answered, I thought I was more patriotic then then they were. because I did not wish to see men an women killed ,injured, lose legs and arms or come home in a box. In a war we had no business in being involved in.

If I were Pres. Obama, I’d reply, “Gov. Bush calls me intolerant of so-called religious freedom. Perhaps it is because I’m supportive of the Constitution of the Republic of the United States of America. I’m wondering why Gov. Bush is so intolerant of the constitution.”

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